Wolfenstein: The New Order
I was going to review Return to Castle Wolfenstein and Wolfenstein (2009) first but f*** it, I just finished this and really want to talk about it so there you go. Short version: You need to go out and buy this right now assuming you're not younger in age. I'm serious. Make sure to buy it brand new, this game needs to be supported and badly. Long version: Well keep on reading about the best game to come out so far for 2014 to find out more! The Story This is a game full of surprises, the biggest of which is the writing. This is a series that has had either minimal story or just your basic dumb Hollywood action movie affair, but this game has had clearly talented writers obviously put in alot of time and dedication. The game shifts often between over the top ridiculous (and self aware of that fact) to brutally dark and serious, and that may sound like it would be jarring but it works extremely well because it's all executed so well and paced wonderfully. When the game wants to be over the top and funny, it is, when it wants to be a bit more serious, it is. From moments like a robot dog exploding from a grenade it was convinced to play fetch with to moments where you get to see the cringe-worthy horrors of a Nazi concentration camp, it all works. The characters are all great, with distinct, unique, and memorable personalities, the likable characters are very likable while the unlikable characters are something to hate with a passion if you have any soul left in you. Even the game's romance is surprisingly tastefully done, and this is a romance with TWO sex scenes, something games can barely ever do tastefully, although this one succeeds. The love interest, Anya, isn't a useless pair breasts to walk around and be pretty, but an actual decent character that is smart and capable of helping out in ways besides fighting. I could go on about how great the rest of the morally good characters are but I'll leave you to discover that yourself. As for the bad characters, they are excellent. Deathshead gets graduated to lead antagonist this time around and to great effect. Machine Games's take on him is all the more demented and menacing, and the other lead antagonist, Frau Engel, is great as well, once again for reasons I'll let you discover yourself in the game. Also without spoiling, I can assure you the ending is a good one, no crummy cliffhanger. The main issue is the same issue that Thief had, in that there was no epilogue. It just kind of... ended. Once again a warning: This game is brutal, and earns it's M for Mature rating. Not for the kids or the squeamish! I respect it for that. The developers clearly weren't afraid of anything, and went through ensuring the creative vision was fully realized. The Gameplay Wolfenstein: The New Order marks the glorious return of many of the lost classic shooter philosophies that died out as Halo and Call of Duty rose in popularity. This is a game where you move fast, have a massive arsenal, and can and should go all-out. If you are simply popping in and out of cover the whole way through, you are not playing it right. The easiest way to describe it: In most modern shooters you get through the hard mode by abusing cover. In Wolfenstein: The New Order, you get through hard mode by being quick and efficient, movement is your ally, and you need to have the right weapons for the job out at the right times, and you need to make sure your aim is spot-on. It was so refreshing to experience that with a modern AAA title! Also, f*** realism, because in this game you can carry a massive arsenal on you at all times, and you can even dual-wield every weapon. On top of that you also get no aim penalty for hip-firing. WHY? Because it's fun, really, really, really fun! Enemy A.I. can be a bit stupid at times, but honestly it fits both the writing and the gameplay's style quite well. Honestly if the AIs were smarter it would probably become annoying. I'm also not saying they are completely incompetent, especially on harder difficulties they are quite capable of fighting, they just aren't quite up to the snuff of today's standards. Level designs are great and generally open-ended, often times giving you the option of going about it stealthily. The game never felt repetitive thanks to the mix of stealth, all-out combat, exploration, and story, all evenly spaced out and never over-staying their welcome. Level designs will also encourage being stealthy, or to spend time searching the environment for hidden secrets, or take some time out to deliver on some more of the game's fantastic writing, all of which can be ignored if you really want to. The only gripes I have is how boss battles, of which there are three, while great in writing and presentation, aren't that great gameplay wise. The game also in general could have used more enemy variety, and the while I don't mind bullet-spongey enemies, they may have been a bit too plentiful. Also, the moon bit that was advertised in the launch trailer turned into a large missed opportunity. The Value Many are concerned about the lack of multiplayer. Well I am pleased to inform you this is a long game, lasting anywhere from 12 to 20 hours to get through, has some great replay value in form of unlockable modes with Enigma puzzles, the five basic difficulties, trophies/achievements, and even two different versions of the story line depending on which character you sacrifice at the end of chapter one. Every bit of this game is jam-packed with quality, and the fact that they didn't have to allocate time and resources to a multiplayer mode shows. Conclusion Pros *Fantastic writing *Fantastic, fresh gameplay *Great level design *Packed with quality *A truly unique stand-out amongst current shooters *Lots of fan-service for fans of past entries Cons *Boss battles could have been slightly better *Could have used some more enemy types Final Recommendation Wolfenstein: The New Order is a triumph, and a stand-out amongst the current shooter-filled market! It not only deserves to be played but deserves to be successful. It really feels like a giant middle finger to the current games industry, with no dlc of any kind, the pre-order bonus being guaranteed access to the upcoming public Doom 4 beta, no tacked-on multiplayer, a unique and well-made style of gameplay that's the perfect way to modernize the classic shooter formula, and no crummy sequel-bait ending. The more successful this game is the better this great message will get across to the gaming industry as a whole. Please don't buy this used! Support it! With fantastic gameplay, level design, and writing, this is the first truly, unquestioningly great game of 2014, and let's hope that it's only the first of many to come! Category:2014 Reviews